“In spite of achieving the power to control in all directions and in spite of enjoying all types of dear sense gratification as much as possible, Hiranyakashipu was dissatisfied because instead of controlling his senses he remained their servant.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.19)

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स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान्
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय:

sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub
eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno
nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ

“Listen, I appreciate that people from the past wrote things down. In some cases, it is our only access to those periods of time. There are hardly any images remaining. Certainly, no audio recordings. No home movies. In those times the wealthy would commission a portrait of their family. You might find sculptures that are still standing. Large structures, first intended for worship. Carvings within caves. But no, the books are the lasting memory with the most impact. I am thankful to have the books. I am especially thankful for shastra.

“It is nice to revisit the halcyon days of simple living. Sages sleeping in huts. People building things with their hands, often times from scratch. You have Lakshmana, the younger brother of Shri Rama, known for his prowess in battle. He is a kshatriya, after all. He defends the innocent. He is like the bodyguard to his elder brother. He protects Rama’s wife, the princess of Videha known as Sita. We should not mistaken strength for lack of skill and planning. Lakshmana can build a hut, on the spot, without prior preparation. He builds a most wonderful dwelling, all for the benefit of Sita and Rama. I could never imagine meeting someone having the same ability today.”

परवानस्मि काकुत्स्थ त्वयि वर्षशतं स्थिते
स्वयं तु रुचिरे देशे क्रियतामिति मां वद

paravānasmi kākutstha tvayi varṣaśataṃ sthite
svayaṃ tu rucire deśe kriyatāmiti māṃ vada

“O Rama, for as long as You shall stand before me, even if it be for one hundred years, I will always remain Your servant. Therefore You should be the one to choose a beautiful and appropriate place for the cottage. After You have selected a spot, please then command me to start building.” (Lakshmana speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 15.7)

“Shastra can provide lessons to last for eternity. Of this, there is no doubt. But have you given thought to the issues of the modern day which might not have an equivalent from the past? For example, doomscrolling. Who would ever have imagined the ability to endlessly consume video content? The content is so meaningless that you only watch for a few seconds. You move on to the next one, hoping to find something better. There are the AI chatbots. You can pretend to talk to someone, endlessly. They always have answers. They are always there. You never have to settle for loneliness.

“How is shastra going to help with problems associated with such interactions? The depression. The sadness. The desperate search for meaning. You can advise these people to go outside, to go for a walk, to interact with the world, but just see what they are up against. Everyone else is on their phones. There are no children to play with. There is no neighborhood of which to speak. There is no interest in actual dialogue, in a conversation with back-and-forth, involving a human being. What hope is left?”

For the specific issue raised, there is certainly a correlation with the age-old issue of gambling. When a person is trapped in the fever of continuous wagers. When no outcome is good enough. When there is distress in winning and despondency in losing. When there is the high from feeling the action, so to speak, but never finding a way to wind down. The issues of the modern day certainly translate, but there is also an ancient principle that provides greater coverage.

The principle is known through a single Sanskrit word. This word is a combination of other terms. You start with indriyah, which refers to the senses. Think of tasting, hearing, smelling, touching, and the like. The senses are how a person interacts with the outside world. It is the conduit for communication. It is the way the internal, the you, contacts the external, which is the “not you”, for lack of a better term.

In front of indriyah, we add the word “jita”. This refers to victory or conquering. The two combined become jitendriyah. This refers to someone who has conquered their senses. Imagine a person who can do fine with eating very little. They can sleep for a few hours and be fully energized the next day. No matter what happens, they are not affected. They are a cool customer. It is not that they must abstain, in a kind of fear of breaching self-imposed boundaries. They can interact with the external. They can engage the senses. The distinction is that they are fully in control. If comparing to a horse-and-carriage, this person is steering the vehicle. They tell the horses where to go.

To the word jitendriyah we add a short “a” sound in front. This is a simple negation. Ajitendriyah refers to someone who has been conquered by the senses. They know certain experiences are harmful. They know they should decline certain invitations. They should stay away from certain substances. Still, they cannot help themselves. It is like a higher force propels them forward. They are getting shoved from behind. The mind becomes an enemy, in the way described by Shri Krishna in Bhagavad-gita.

बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जित:
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत्

bandhur ātmātmanas tasya
yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śatrutve
vartetātmaiva śatru-vat

“For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.6)

Ajitendriyah is the worst condition to find. It can arise at any time, to any person, living in any period of time. Wealth is no guarantee of protection. There is no pill to alleviate the resulting distress. There is no magic touch that can cure the ailment. Ajitendriyah is like being constantly prodded. One second after another. No matter how much you have, nothing will ever be enough. You are always agitated. You lose better judgment. You might fall so low as to consider your own son, a child all of five years, to be the greatest danger. You lose your tolerance such that you cannot even hear sound words of advice offered by that child.

There is an option to cure the ajitendriyah condition in a mechanical way. There are the various phases of improvement within a formal implementation of yoga. Removal of anarthas. Associating with saintly people. Engaging in activities to positively impact the consciousness. There is also the quicker way, in surrendering to the one who is Hrishikesha. He is the master of all the senses. His approval, His satisfaction, His kindness, and His mercy can cure any condition. Hrishikesha is another name for Vishnu, who was worshiped by the five-year old boy known as Prahlada. Because of the influence of Vishnu, in direct connection with Him, someone like Prahlada was jitendriyah. He was the opposite of his own father, who was suffering despite being in the highest position in the material world.

In Closing:

Despite highest position to find,
Constant agitation in mind.

Like prodding on repeat,
From own senses defeat.

Meanwhile different for his son,
Like over the external won.

From connection never to shake,
Dedication to Vishnu to take.

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Tags: dailyprompt, distractions, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, screen time